Losing a part of me

Category: Coffee

  • 2026 Day 33

    I was not as good as I thought I would be yesterday. I was not nearly as bad as I had been the previous day. Well, I suppose that is something.

    I did not weigh myself this morning because when my alarm is set for 12:15am I do not exactly classify that as morning. I am exhausted, but it’s a new week of teaching overseas. How fun.

    I will try to be good today. I will also try to get some sleep between classes. I do have to run to the supermarket though… I cannot believe that I forgot to buy coffee and actually ran out. I am drinking tea right now, but if that does not give me the kick I need then I have an emergency supply of sugar-free energy drinks in the refrigerator.

    Have a great day folks.

  • Day 798

    It is going to rain soon so I am sitting comfortably in the upstairs lounge of Johnny’s bistro. In a little while I’ll head out to go replenish my cigar stock, and then will go hunting vittels for lunch. I have a phone call to make around 2:15 so I will make my way to my friend Gloria’s hotel (even though she is not working until later) because it is traditionally the place with the most reliable Internet.

    I was disappointed to realize that I did not bring a charging cable for my fitness watch, which means that either today or possibly tomorrow will be my last day tracking steps until I am back home. Oh well… I will still do a lot of walking!

    I slept slightly more last night than the previous two… but not by much. I find that I can go longer here than I usually do in Canada… despite the walking. That might have something to do with how much coffee I drink here!

    Johnny and I will have lunch and then another friend and I are hopefully going to have dinner this evening. We have missed each other twice, and if it does not work out then it will just not happen this trip because of work schedules. What can you do?

    I am feeling good about my food intake and choices this week, and hope that when I finally step onto the bathroom scale next Wednesday I should be pleased with the number.

    Have a great day folks!

  • Day 762

    My bags are mostly packed and I went out for breakfast. I was supposed to meet a friend but he was a no-show… very irregular for him, and I am a little worried. With that said, I know he had a meeting last night where he had to make a speech, and he might have been out very late. I know I will hear from him when he wakes up and he will be extremely sorry. In any event, I had my last breakfast, and have one more meeting with another friend from 11-1, at which point I will grab a taxi to the airport. As much as I hate leaving Havana, I am looking forward to being home for a little while.

    I missed my steps goal yesterday by 500 steps, but only because I ended up walking home after midnight. I was at about 2000 steps by the time I went to bed, so I still hit it. I also had way too much to drink (thanks to my buddy the restaurateur who kept pouring, and then the person who wanted to meet with me to learn about cigars who kept ordering) so I was not really concerned by the steps by 11pm. If I have not lost weight this trip it is because of those two days of alcohol, the pasta I’ve been eating (most meals here involve pork or seafood, and my religious beliefs supersede my weight loss), and the little chocolates that most cafes serve with a cup of coffee. Having said that, I am not worried. If I need to redouble my efforts when I get home then I will.

    Have a great day folks… I’ll see you tomorrow in Canada!

  • Day 280

    I was hoping that despite some minor cheating yesterday, I would have recovered at least some of the weight that I gained after my Covid-19 vaccine cheat day. No joy. My weight is actually up by .2lbs, which means that I am still under 310lbs… but any weight gain tomorrow will blow that. I have to be good today.

    Something else that I have to do today is go to the supermarket. I finished the last of my coffee this morning, which means that if I do not want to be in a really bad mood tomorrow, a trip to the store is in the cards. Additionally, I have had shirts, pants, and a sports jacket that I have been meaning to drop off at the dry cleaners since I got back from Texas, and the drycleaner is adjacent to the supermarket. Two birds, one stone.

    Princess Sophie went to Sue’s for a playdate today. I do not know how long she will be there, but I am happy that she is enjoying her play date with Charlie. I suspect that I will be able to enjoy my lunch unmolested… although in truth, she does not bother me and she eats all of my chicken cartilage… from her dish, not from the table.

    I am going to have a relaxing day, but today might be the day I finally join the gym. We’ll see.

    Have a great day folks!

  • Day 263

    The Day of Disney was enjoyable, and while I did not stick to the plan, it could have been much worse. I had avocado toast for breakfast on my way there, then mid-afternoon Leslie’s son wanted pizza. My options were either non-kosher, or cheese pizza. Yes, I ate lousy pizza. Leslie (my biggest supporter) and I agreed that there were no better options.

    On my way home from the park, I decided to pick up chicken from El Pollo Loco. I seem to recall my ex-girlfriend loved the food there. I don’t understand it, but to each their own. It is not that it is bad, just… well, having eaten at Zankou this week, I know there are much better options.

    My step count was exceptional. I do not remember the final tally, and because I am in the air I cannot check. Aside from the park (which is a lot of walking to begin with), I decided to return my rental car last night, and then walked back to my hotel. Yes, for a regular fitness walker, the extra mile (quite literally) should not be a problem. However, when you are walking around on a foot that is in agony, it was a challenge.

    I confess, I also had a bag of chips last night. Bad Mitch! After doing so well at the park, the chips was not the worst thing in the world… but it was not good.

    At the park, I did have a bite of Leslie’s churro, and I also had three spoonfuls of the milkshake monstrosity they shared. By the way, four of us could have shared the thing and still been over our daily calories limit. I am glad I was able to restrain myself. The boy was hugely excited about the thing, but that’s why they sell them.

    My breakfast options at the airport were not great. Again, I opted to eat kosher-style, so a turkey avocado sandwich was my only option. That and a cup of coffee satisfied me nicely. In flight, I did have the cookies with my coffee, but only one (I usually ask for a second).

    Leslie was worried that I would not be eating the chicken legs & thighs that I have in the freezer today, but I gotta say that after nearly a week on the road, I am really looking forward to cooking my own food. I am probably meeting friends this evening, so when I am back from the airport it will be my midday meal.

    Oh, and I have a new friend. For the first time in a while, I brought a second carry-on bag with me, so my new R2 unit could comfortably fly with me. I’ll post pictures to Facebook when I am home.

    I expect I’ll have gained a couple of pounds this week, but it should not be disastrous. I am crossing my fingers though… if I stayed under 315lbs I’ll be happy.

    Have a great day folks!

  • Day 167

    I got onto the bathroom scale this morning and got a huge shock. After my 2.4lbs drop yesterday, this morning I was down another 3.8lbs from yesterday. I still say that every small increment helps, but these occasional huge drops are always nice too! The real tell will be tomorrow morning. I will be seeing the doctor for my official weigh-in. I have not been to his office for an official weigh-in since Day 139, so it is nearly a month. Unless something goes very wrong between now and then, I am expecting to see a huge drop – at least four kilos down from my last weigh-in, conservatively. I am crossing my fingers. At the same time, I know that hope is not a strategy, and so I will also be eating well today.

    Speaking of that, we started with a very nice omelet this morning. I sautéed some mushrooms and onions on one burner, while preparing the six-egg omelet in the other. I have been playing with blending the eggs rather than beating them by hand; yesterday it was too… something. I had them in the blender for seven seconds. This morning I kept it to three seconds, and according to my lovely wife, I got the consistency perfect today. Yay! Of course, I also added some cheese and dill to the mix, and it was quite lovely. Add to that my morning coffee, which is quite important. For nearly three weeks in Dallas, I made do with an inferior coffee blend (which was nobody’s fault but my own). It is wonderful to be home to my Pane Fresca blend of French Roast mixed with Belgian Chocolate.

    It was raining this morning when I took Her Royal Floofness for her walk. Not a big deal, but we did get wet. Fortunately, I have hats to keep me partially protected. We did not go as far as we often do, but she was able to accomplish what she needed to, and that was the important part.

    Have a great day folks!

  • Day 165

    Leslie and I are at the airport on our way home to Toronto. Getting through checking in and Security was a breeze… even though the TSA agent at Security was a bit of a prick.

    One of the advantages of flying business class is that when all of that rigamarole is behind us, we can relax in the business class lounge – in the case of American Airlines, the Admiral Club. It is the first time in year I’ve flown American, but the lounge is similar to the ones I am used to. I have a cup of coffee, Leslie has a sofa, and we have ninety minutes before boarding starts.

    This morning my weight was down another pound, which puts me exactly where I was before I got onto the airplane nearly three weeks ago. To be on vacation and not gain weight is a success, even though I was way down for a few days. Damn those tasty treats!

    One thing I am happy about is that my weight stayed stable, but I did not deprive myself. For example, yesterday for lunch we had a wonderful hamburger and fries. I only had beef twice during my stay here… well, three times if you count the pho.

    I will see the doctor on Wednesday, and I am hoping to be at least one but maybe as much as two kilos down. I am crossing my fingers. I have not walked since Thursday, but tomorrow is a holiday for Leslie (and the entire USA) so we will probably go down to Niagara Falls for the day. Tuesday morning I will resume my walking routine.

    Have a great day folks… and I’ll see you in Toronto!

  • Day 144

    I lost my cool yesterday and wish I could go back in time to change that. I am honestly not sure though if I should have walked away or punched the guy. Folks, here’s a suggestion: Never tell a Jewish person a joke about Hitler not being a bad guy and the gassing of Jews was a misunderstanding. It is a sure way to get you on someone’s shit list. He will not get another chance with me.

    I was at Ryan’s longer than I had expected so I ate with them… a large salad and some chicken tenders. I should have come home to eat, but that’s life. As for my weight this morning, depending on the measure it was either even with yesterday or down two pounds. I deleted those and stayed even. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

    I am taking my sons for breakfast shortly, which means that most of my morning coffee will be lousy. That’s life. When I come home (and they go home) I will brew a fresh pot to enjoy. The weather forecast is grim until 4pm, at which point it dries up a little. Tomorrow is the only sunny day on the forecast until I fly to Dallas, so I will try to golf.

    I miss my Leslie. I know she misses me. We are down to the short strokes now, but there are still four days until my love is in my arms.

    Have a great day folks!